The Young Vermeer

Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Individual Artists

The Young Vermeer Details

Monograph celebrating the work of Johannes Vermeer, focusing on his early works.

Reviews

A fine overview of the three large surviving early works by this master--the first two of which represent Biblical/mythological themes and the third a bawdy tavern scene, Vermeer's first genre picture, from which the artist launched a career. The Procuress, now fully restored, is an extraordinary painting, and should be valued for many reasons, not least because the leering voyeur is likely a self portrait. It is a work of refined flamboyance, theatrically (if not awkwardly) staged by a genius at the beginning of his awesome poetic power.Edwin Buijsen, the principal author, briskly summarizes the provenance of each work and provides excellent historical context, comparing the early works with similar paintings that might have inspired the Delft Master. What is presented is a distillation from a dozen other sources, made whole in this book, which was fashioned to accompany the splendid small exhibition of the early works last year at the Mauritshuis. It can be seen now through mid-March at the National Gallery in Edinburgh. Later it will travel to Dresden's Gemaldegalerie.I particularly enjoyed seeing photos of turn-of-the-twentieth century people important to the effort of acquiring the early paintings, as well as detailed highlights of where (and how) Vermeer signed the works.There is a middling quality to the reproductions of the paintings in this book, with two notable exceptions: The Girl with a Pearl Earring (splendid) and Vermeer's View of Delft, which is the finest reproduction of this masterwork I've seen. For a gander at the best copy of The Procuress, see Walter Liedtke's book, The Complete Vermeer. Otherwise, make time to see the real thing in Dresden, if not in Edinburgh.

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